This is a year-long study evaluating the efficacy of both daily and intermittent treatment of asthma in children who experience symptoms episodically (i.e., seasonally, usually in the context of upper respiratory tract infection).

A Multicenter, Randomized, Double-Blind, Double-Dummy, Parallel-Group Study Evaluating the Effects of 2 Different Regimens of Montelukast (Daily Dosing and Intermittent, Episode-Driven Dosing) Compared With Placebo in the Treatment of Episodic Asthma in Children Aged 6 Months to 5 Years

Number of Asthma Episodes Culminating in Asthma Attack Over the 1-year Treatment Period [ Time Frame: 1-year treatment period ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

The rate per year of asthma episodes culminating in an asthma attack for each of the 3 treatment groups. Asthma attacks were defined as respiratory symptoms requiring healthcare resource utilization (HRU), which comprised unscheduled visits to a physician or emergency department, treatment with corticosteroids (oral, rectal, or inhaled), or hospitalization. Each day during an episode, the patient's legal guardian recorded all the HRU that was required specifically for breathing problems.

Secondary Outcome Measures:

Daily Average of Wheeze and Difficulty Breathing in the 3 Days Prior to Start of an Asthma Attack Within an Asthma Episode [ Time Frame: 1 Year ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Each day during an asthma episode, the patient's legal guardian was asked to rate each of the symptoms of wheeze and difficulty breathing on a 6-point scale (Scale 0 (best) to 5 (worst)). The average of the individual symptom scores on each of the 3 days prior to an asthma attack was reported. If a patient had multiple episodes during 1 year, the symptom scores were averaged across all the episodes.

Daily Average of the Mean Symptom Scores (Wheeze, Difficulty Breathing, Interference With Activity, and Daytime Cough) Assessed Over the 12-day Treatment Period of Asthma Episodes [ Time Frame: 1 Year ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Each day during an asthma episode, the patient's legal guardian was asked to rate each of the symptoms of Wheeze, Difficulty Breathing, Interference with Activity, and Daytime Cough on a 6-point scale (Scale 0 (best) to 5 (worst)). The average of the individual symptom scores on each of the 12 days of intermittent treatment for an episode (before the first attack) was reported. If a patient had multiple episodes over 1 year, the symptom scores were averaged across all the episodes.

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Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT00337675